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A Simple Path – To Finding Rest

“And what if trials of this life; the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are Your mercies in disguise?” – Laura Story

I need to rest.

The signs have been there for a while – I’ve just elected to ignore them. Beyond feeling tired and struggling with depression lately, the sign that has been most shocking is how I look in pictures.

I was taken back when my daughter posted a recent family picture on Facebook. Dark circles surrounded my eyes and my overall physical appearance looked unhealthy. I hardly recognized myself.

There was another occasion for family pictures on Mothers Day, and with it, another occasion to look at this person and not believe he is me.

So, I need to rest.

After careful consideration I’ve decided to take a break from blogging. It’s not that I’ve lost my passion for writing; it’s just I need to reclaim some time back in my life.

Because there are some responsibilities that can’t be scaled down, the time I spend on The BridgeMaker writing, editing, scheduling guest posts, and connecting with the blogging community is the most logical candidate right now.

My intent isn’t to give this newly-created time to my other responsibilities, but to give this time to myself. I will use this time to begin reading again; to get my body healthy and to enjoy my daughter’s upcoming college graduation. I will use this time to get some extra sleep and reconnect with the person I am still learning to be.

Days of working all day and then returning home to work another couple of hours finishing a post have caught up with me. My inner wisdom is telling me to rest. It’s time to listen.

Sometimes the simple path to finding rest is having the courage to slow down and listen to how the other parts of our souls need to be nourished, too.

Rather than guessing at a return date to The BridgeMaker, I think I’ll rely on a new sign to tell me I’m ready to begin blogging again. I think that sign will be when I see a picture of a healthy, energized and rested soul smiling back at me.

What is A Simple Path?

This post is in A Simple Path, a series of short pieces inspired by my own life experiences. Each post is a simple path to experiencing something wonderful: maybe seeing life from a different perspective, or celebrating its beauty. Click here to read all posts in the series.